Emma Watson wins first grand prize for gender-neutral cinema

Wow. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you. First, I feel like I have to say something about the price itself. The first acting award in history that doesn’t separate contestants based on their gender says a lot about how we view the human experience. MTV’s decision to create a genderless award for acting will mean something different for everyone. But for me, that indicates that to act is to be able to put yourself in someone else’s shoes. And it doesn’t need to be separated into two different categories.

It is very meaningful to me. Both to win the prize and to receive it from you, Asia. Thank you for educating me in such an inclusive, patient and loving way. Thank you so much. I think I get this award for a performance as an actor, but I don’t feel like it’s really for it, although I’m very grateful if you think I did a good job because the whole singing part of the situation was pretty terrifying – yeah, I’m not kidding about that part!

But more seriously, I think I’m getting this award because of who Belle is and what she stands for. The villagers in our fairy tale wanted to make Belle believe that the world is smaller than she saw it, with fewer opportunities for her – than her curiosity and passion for knowledge and her desire for more. in life were grounds for alienation. I loved playing someone who didn’t listen to any of this. I am so proud to be a part of a film that celebrates diversity, literacy, inclusion, joy and love like this.

I want to thank Linda Woolverton for writing the original Belle, Jeanne-Marie LePrince of Beaumont for writing what the animated film was based on, and Paige O’Hara for playing Belle in the original. And I want to thank everyone who voted for me. Thank you so much. Taraji, I don’t see you, but Daniel [Kaluuya], Jage [McAvoy], Hailee, all of you, it’s a privilege to have been nominated alongside you. Finally, I want to thank everyone who helped give me this opportunity and supported me on this journey. You know who you are and I cannot thank you enough. Thank you so much.